don_kessinger_was_good
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Everything posted by don_kessinger_was_good
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Minor league relief pitchers are a notoriously weak bunch at the major league level. See Aardsma, David. A kid with good relief numbers at A-ball doesn't impress me, certainly not for Patterson. The Cubs view minor league relievers so "highly", that's why they gave away JVB for nothing. Drese sucks too, I guess Patterson is worth nothing more than the value of being able to dump his salary. Sad.
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Vidro makes a lot more sense in trade than Soriano. Besides the fact he's a significantly better player when healthy, Vidro won't cost as much in trade given his health problems. And after taking Fonzie's arbitration into account, he's not paid any more than Soriano, either. Finally, it's hard to believe Bowden would accede so easily on Soriano after just making the trade. Gotta believe he'd move Vidro first. So, Patterson and Williams for Vidro anyone? We can always use Hairston and Neifi at 2B for when Vidro can't play.
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There has been talk in KC that Sisco will get sent to Omaha to get some work in as a starter again. They like him as their lefty setup man, but the Royals recognize he has more value if he can start. I'd say it's 50-50 whether he's in the big league bullpen, or the AAA rotation, in April.
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Here's another problem with the farm system: why have our positional players then panned out so miserably bad? Especially compared to our pitchers. Regardless of whether they reached the bigs with the Cubs or not, compare this list of former top Cub pitching prospects to top Cub hitting prospects. Is this not a serious indictment of the organization's ability to provide proper hitting instruction to young ballplayers? Pitchers: Jon Garland, Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior, Juan Cruz, Andy Sisco, Angel Guzman Hitters: Brooks Kieschnick, Ross Gload, Eric Hinske, Hee Seop Choi, Corey Patterson, David Kelton, Nic Jackson, Bobby Hill
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Depends on who the AA player is. If it's Dustin Pedroia or Val Majewski as two examples, then buh-bye Corey.
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There hasn't been one since Doug Glanville. Eric Hinske, to a degree.
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My biggest beef with Hendry wrt the farm system is the "toolsy" philosophy in preference to guys that are fundamentally sound and exhibit plate discipline. It all comes down to Hendry's well-known disregard at this point for OBP, which rubs most here the wrong way, self included. You look at all the Cub positional "prospects" over the last five years, and how many weren't free swinging, high K, low OBP guys? Murton, but we didn't develop him. Sing and Craig, but both are marginal prospects. Choi, but the organization seemed to hate him. Cedeno looks to be OK. But mostly, we get the Ryan Harveys, and Corey Pattersons, and Brian Dopiraks, and Felix Pies coming down the pipe. Swing from the heels, chicks dig the long ball. Ugh.
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Don, Good guesses. I am telling you - there has got to be something about his personality for those teams to not want to trade for a $2.5M player with his potential for offensive production. Maybe a Spring Training deal. When you've played for five teams in eight years, word gets around pretty fast. He's not completely toxic, but close. No one seems to want him, and if the Cubs don't either, they're going to have to eat some money to move him. I guess picking up the option wasn't such a smart idea after all.
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Here are my guesses: 1. Seattle 2. Texas 3. Toronto Unlikely, but possible: 4. San Francisco (Durham is creaky) 5. Pittsburgh 6. Florida (if the Cubs eat some salary)
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1. Move Patterson, Walker and Williams or Hill for quality position player prospects. 2. Plan on trading Rusch after June 15, he won't be needed by then. Wood will be back, and one of Hill or Guzman or Williams can handle the #5 spot. I trade Rusch for yet more prospects. 3. Scan the waiver wire, NRI lists, etc... for that last bench spot. 4. Fire Dusty before he submarines your chances.
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You can't play both Kendrick and Wood. I wouldn't mind seeing a Chicago double-play combination of Howie and Ronny Cedeno AT ALL. Given where Kendrick is at, Carlos Marmol would be an even swap. Or if LA needs a starting pitcher right now, I'd send them JWill for Wood so fast it makes your head spin. I'll include a relief prospect like David Aardsma or Andy Shipman too, or Roberto Novoa at the big league level, no sweat. But I think you're right, the Angels seem to be among the most reticent teams in baseball to trade their prospects. It hasn't backfired on them yet, but as one example, Kotchman would have fetched a whole lot more 12 months ago then he would today if on the market. If the Angels were smart, they'd capitalize on the value TODAY of Wood and Kendrick, choose the one they want to put their money on for the future, and trade the other to get some young pitching help. Arizona and Tampa should do the same thing, those two teams REALLY need the pitching, and they have the extra hitting prospects to make something happen. Tampa in particular, I just don't understand how they can sit on all those outfielders, with Delmon Young coming on strong behind them, and not move one or two of them for pitching. Aubrey Huff, I mean c'mon, the guy will make over $5MM!!
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Heck, he'll probably be their cleanup hitter behind Cabrera.
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Branyan has as many holes in his swing as Patterson, Dubois and Hee K Me combined. Just say no.
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Honestly, I think this is the last offseason we'll need to ask this question, because I feel Hendry and Baker are both going to be axed by October at the latest. Theo Epstein, anyone? By the way, following the Cubs has always been kind of like Kremlin watching during the Cold War, or Vatican watching when voting for a new pope--you try to read the tea leaves and watch for wisps of smoke escaping from the Tribune Tower. I mention this because I've seen three stories now this offseason, the latest in today's paper, hinting that Ryno has a future as a manager. I know he has no experience, I know he is less animated than spruce tree, but the Cubs could be greasing the skids for a Ryne Sandberg 2007 Cubs Manager plan. And at this point, I'd give that a shot, why not?
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Nice Article on Rich Hill
don_kessinger_was_good replied to vance_the_cubs_fan's topic in Chicago Cubs Talk
He needs to keep throwing strikes, that's the key to his success. The curve alone is good enough to give him a major league career, at least as a reliever, if he can just stay in the strike zone, something he hasn't been able to consistently do so far in his career. A quality changeup would be the most important thing he could add to get to that next level. -
Illiniguy, I'm very high on Billy Butler indeed, I hear about him a lot being in KC. I just want to see him keep posting good numbers at a higher level before I really jump on the bandwagon. Someone mentioned Howie Kendrick, I've seen him play--he's the real deal indeed. The Angels have Manny Aybar too, what an embarassment of infield riches with Wood, Macpherson and Kotchman as well. There is a real dearth of decent catching prospects, which isn't really all that new, but it seems especially bleak at this point in the cycle. Teams would do well to hoard any catchers in their system with even marginal hopes for the big leagues. I forgot about Daric Barton :oops: And yes, I put that list together off the top of my head, don't know what I was thinking with Encarnacion, Kotchman and Upton, all three have exceeded ROY requirements.
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I find myself pining for young hitting talent, after pondering how fetid our own system has been. I'm curious who you'd list as the top ten hitting prospects in the game? To be on the list, the player would have to qualify for ROY in 2006, though he could be lower in the minors and be a year or two away yet, too. Here's my list: 1. Jeremy Hermida (Florida) 2. Stephen Drew (Arizona) 3. Delmon Young (Tampa) 4. BJ Upton (Tampa) 5. Carlos Quentin (Arizona) 6. Andy Marte (Boston) 7. Prince Fielder (Milwaukee) 8. Lastings Milledge (Mets) 9. Josh Barfield (San Diego) 10. Casey Kotchman (Angels) Others (random order): James Loney (Dodgers), Franklin Gutierrez (Cleveland), Conor Jackson (Arizona), Edwin Encarnacion (Cincinnati), Brandon Wood (Angels), Ian Kinsler (Texas), Felix Pie (Cubs), Hanley Ramirez (Florida), Joel Guzman (Dodgers), Nick Markakis (Baltimore)
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Jim Hendry: three good trades. Does not counterbalance numerous failed free agent signings, mismanagement of his young prospects, total waste of a generous $100MM payroll, and sticking with an incompetent as manager. Overall tenure grade: C- and falling.
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Good, I'm so sick of this Tejada crap, I didn't really want him THAT bad anyway. Certainly not for the rumored price in players. Now Hendry can focus on something that IMO would be more helpful--Barry Zito. Looking at what Beane got for Mulder and Hudson, I'd think Rich Hill + Matt Murton + a mid-level prospect (eg, Carlos Marmol) would be in the ballpark. Hendry would need to flip Patterson and Walker into an outfielder to replace Murton, but I'd certainly be willing to part with him and Hill to get a RELIABLE #2 starter. This team could go a long way with a rotation of Zambrano, Zito, Prior, Maddux and Williams. And maybe at some point in the season, Kerry Wood.
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I'd be plenty pleased if Cedeno gets 125 starts, it doesn't need to be 160. I can live with Neifi in there for 35 games, so long as he bats 7th or 8th.
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Hendry probably looks at the above .500 W-L record and gets all excited, the mope. I really question Hendry's ability to judge talent at this point.
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Huh? Frere Jacques, Lucky Pierre, Marquis de Sod, John Mabry, Mike Restovich. And Jerry Hairston plays some OF, too. That's six OF-ers if necessary. Patterson is flotsam.
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Val Majewski would be an interesting pickup in place of Patterson. I'd be happier though if it were Loewen or Markakis. I presume since the Cubs are only getting a prospect in exchange, they won't be giving Baltimore any money. No one wants to pay Patterson $3MM after his meltdown last year, so if you're not willing to pick up any of the contract, a prospect is all the more you deserve. I like the Tribune's poll, one of the options regarding Corey is "Goodbye and good riddance." Guess which one I voted for?? :wink:
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Wow, I didn't know Craig Wilson could catch. How big is that you say? What happens on the days Henry Blanco starts? Barrett sits on the bench and goes unused. Or occasionally, instead of getting the full day off behind the plate, Dusty puts him in for the late innings to get his bat in the game. Which is fine, except it defeats the purpose of resting your primary catcher. If you have Wilson though, who can be your 3rd catcher, now things change. On days Blanco starts, you can give Barrett the time off from the tools of ignorance. BUT, you can use him confidently as a pinch-hitter off the bench. Put that bat to use. The Cub bench instantly gets better. I'm really liking the sound of this Walker for Wilson thing now. Do it.
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Another thought--if this Walker for Wilson deal happened, there's no reason not to follow up on Patterson and Ohman for Ibanez as well, right? We had too few OF-ers last year, I like having too many for once. Gives Hendry even more trade ammo to go get the players we REALLY need. If you can spin off unwanted pieces like Patterson and Walker, and bring in better pieces like Wilson and Ibanez, then that's progress. Unfortunately, both deals are nothing more than rumors at this point, hard to get your hopes up with this team and all the many rumors that come down the road.